Despite the semi-glamourous image that the wine industry has around its edges, winemakers are essentially farmers. They can only harvest their crop once a year, during a tiny window of optimum fruit ripeness (between March and May) in order to extract the best possible quality juice with which to make the best quality wine they … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Radio NZ National
Semi-regularly I chat about wine with Jesse Mulligan on RNZ Afternoons Afternoons To listen to some of my wine recommendations please click here http://www.radionz.co.nz/search/results?utf8=✓&q=yvonne+lorkin Friday 29 August 2014 The Selections: Thornbury Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 $14 Bodegas Aragonesas Coto De Hayas Crianza 2011 $16 Mudbrick Reserve Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2013 $40-$50 Listen Friday 22 August … Read More
Urlar Gladstone Noble Riesling 2015
When it comes to sweet treats, if you cant beat ‘em, join ‘em. The organic and biodynamically-produced, Urlar Noble Riesling 2015 ($30) sings with Manuka honey, tangy nectarine and apple notes. The acidity is zingy and refreshing, balancing out the intense sweetness of the top notes and making it a superb partner for every possible … Read More
RM Wines One Off Gisborne Marsanne Viognier 2015
It’s not often we see a local interpretation of this famously versatile Rhone-style blend. Pretty and golden in the glass and bursting with fig, flint, smoky stonefruit and smashed stones. In the mouth there’s a lovely layer of citrus and white peach, just-ripe apricot and oh-so-subtle honeyed notes. It’s a deliciously dry yet generously proportioned … Read More
Brookfields Marshall Bank Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015
Golden like a yellow diamond and boasting a whoomph of toasty oak, grapefruit zest, ripe peach and pineapple tones on the nose and followed by an intense, citrus-driven mid-palate. Crisp, tangy and terrifically taut, Peter Robertson and his team have really crafted something special here because the finish just never does. Long and lipsmackingly refreshing … Read More
Millars Vineyard Syrah 2014 $25 4.5 stars
Millars Vineyard Syrah 2014 $25 (4.5 stars) Take the little bendy track called Bush Lane above Mangawhai beach, and you’ll find the small but perfectly formed vineyard belonging to Ross Millar. He grows tiny amounts of darn lovely wine and this syrah is no exception. Ultra-pure peppercorn characters on the nose merge with lifted violet, … Read More
Dunstan Road Central Otago Riesling 2015 $25 4 stars
If your tastebuds were in need of a serious wakeup call, then this super-dry-to-the-point-of-being-skeletal riesling, could be just the ticket. Crushed seashells, green apple and lime layers all unfold, followed by a taste that I can only describe as like licking a wet stone that’s been soaked in lime. Which is a lovely thing to … Read More
Natural Wine Co. Gisborne Pinot Gris 2016 $19.99 4.5 stars
How’s this for hands-off winemaking. Organic fruit harvested a little later than normal to enhance the fruit sweetness and then the juice is left to soak overnight with the skins to extract a little more texture and complexity. Extended lees stirring during a ferment kickstarted with wild yeasts from the vineyard itself has added layers … Read More
Terra Sancta Lola’s Block Central Otago Pinot Gris 2016
Terra Sancta Lola’s Block Central Otago Pinot Gris 2016 $27.45 ★★★★½ Jody Pagey and Len Ibbotson are the winemaking and viticulture guru’s responsible for this luscious and tangy, southern star pinot gris. It’s a wine that seduced me from the get-go with its punchy nashi freshness and apple strudel spices. Rich and luscious and bursting … Read More
Bisquertt Riserva Petirrojo Carménère
Bisquertt Riserva Petirrojo Carménère 2014 $18 Chilean’s had no idea why much of their merlot tasted so different to the rest until a canny Ampelographer (google it) came along and said “that’s because it’s carménère”. Previously one of the 6 varieties permitted in red Bordeaux, this Colchagua-grown example oozes black berryfruit, tobacco-box oak, dried herb … Read More